Are You Prepared for Everyday Dangers?

If you are someone who keeps track of the news every day, you may have noticed a troubling trend. There is something dreadful being reported daily and the danger just seems to be growing. So, is this true? Is it now more dangerous to leave your home than ever before?

Now, it is unlikely that things are as bad as newscasters would like you to believe. After all, their main goal is often to keep viewers hooked rather than to appease their fears. Despite this, there is no denying that there are quite a few dangers lurking out there. Let’s take a look at the dangers that you may be at risk from and what you can do to keep yourself and your family safe.

Extreme Weather

Whether you choose to believe in climate change or not, you can’t deny that the weather around the world is getting a lot worse. Once, you would have expected only a couple of storms each year. Now, they often seem to strike with very little warning.

The problem with extreme weather is that it is… extreme. So, when it hits, there is a significant risk of damage to your house, personal belongings, and worst of all you and your family. Therefore, you need to know how to stay safe in such cases.

To start with, you will require some form of warning about when this kind of weather is going to strike. So, you are going to want to keep your ear tuned to the radio to know if Mother Nature has decided to unleash her fury on your side of the country.

If you don’t mind taking a more tech-savvy approach, there are now apps that track weather conditions better than ever before. With one of these on your phone, you will be able to accurately see where a storm is going and know whether it is getting worse. This should give you plenty of time to prepare yourself.

The next step, of course, is prep work. Now, the ideal option would be for you and your family to get out of the area while you can. To do this, though, you are going to need the quickest way to leave the city, without getting bogged down by floods, traffic, and more. This is where planning an escape route will be useful. Try a test run during rush hour just to make sure that it is actually feasible.

Once this is done, make sure that your home and your car are stocked with everything that you need. This includes water, non-perishable food, blankets, clothes, batteries, torches, and anything else that you can use. Since you have no idea how bad the situation will get, always carry pills that can purify water and have emergency cash or bartering items on hand.

Modern Technology

Even the most outdoorsy survivalist is bound to have a smartphone in their pocket. This is just the way the world is now. It has made life easier on so many different levels, and most people can’t imagine surviving without technology.

However, it is often said that modern technology is both a blessing as well as a curse and this is certainly true. For all the benefits it has brought us, it has also delivered threats and fear. For instance, did you know that around half of all American adults have had data breaches of one kind or another?

This means that your private and personal information can easily be exposed with just a few clicks of a button. Now, you do have a few solutions in this case. The first is to give up technology altogether. However, if you aren’t ready to go off the grid just yet, this may not be an option for you.

Instead, it is better to take the necessary precautions. One thing you can do is to never make any online purchases, as this will force you to give out your credit card information. You should also set up firewalls, anti-virus software, and more to ensure that no one can access your devices.

It is also important to teach your children to be more responsible when surfing the internet. Explain to them how they should never chat with strangers and to be mindful of what they post online. All the same, you should set up ad blockers and other systems to ensure that there are some sites your kids can’t visit, even accidentally.

It is also a good idea to limit your reliance on technology. These days, not only are there more digital devices but there are also more ways to connect to this tech. In fact, one of the largest growing sectors is the smart home. Now, while it may be tempting to buy into this, you may want to hold off just yet.

It was recently discovered that smart homes are quite easy to hack into. All it takes is one person with a computer and some tech know-how to break into your home without too much trouble. So, you should probably stick with your old fashioned home for now.

The People in Your Life

Yes, this may sound like an absurd thing to consider but it is true. Did you know that around only 11 percent of homicides are carried out by complete strangers? Most people are attacked or killed by people they know. At the very least, there is a good chance that you will have met your perpetrator at least once before.

Now, yes, this can seem like an incredibly frightening idea. After all, how can you protect yourself from the very people you are supposed to trust? Well, there is no need to suspect every person in your life. However, you can’t really afford to be complacent either.

When meeting people for the first time, make sure to give away as little information about yourself as possible. This is something you should do even if you are being introduced to a “friend of a friend”. Often, giving your first name alone is more than enough.

Avoid talking about where you live, work, or giving any other personal information that may get you into trouble later on. Also, avoid boasting about your cars, jewelry items, or anything else that may be of interest to thieves.

Now, this isn’t something you can maintain for very long. If you continue to meet people – or live next door to them – they are going to learn things about your life. Not to mention, you will be expected to spend time with them as well.

So, what can you do in such a situation? Here, it is important to be pre-armed with your own information. There are websites that will allow you to run background searches on the people in your life. This way, you can get some details on that person’s past or current life.

You don’t need to know everything about them. Rather, focus your efforts on learning about whether they have a criminal background or if they were ever accused of a crime. This will give you some idea of just what kind of person they are.

An Economic Crash

If you are to believe the experts, there is no way that a major economy would actually “collapse”. Now even if you took their word as gospel, these financial professionals will admit that there is always a chance of another economic crash, much like the one that took place over a decade ago.

This means that, once again, you are at risk of losing anything you may have invested in the traditional economy. To avoid this kind of scenario, take the necessary precautions. Fortunately, since most people learned their lesson the last time around, there are quite a few things you can do.

Try to keep a certain amount of your assets liquid. This way, should the banks suddenly be unable to provide you with funds, you will not be stuck for cash. At the same time, you may want to buy a small cache of gold coins to ensure that the value of your assets doesn’t go down.

Still, it can be a good idea to stock up on items that can be bartered or considered more valuable than actual cash. This could include things such as medicine, fuel, and anything else that might be seen as essential.

The only way to actually predict an economic downturn, though, is to keep an eye on the signs. So, although it may not be very interesting, you should learn enough about the stock market, banks, and the economy to know what’s going on. This way, you will be aware of just when you need to pull out.

You may be surprised by the number of threats you are at risk of every day. However, there is no need to be concerned because now you know what is out there and what can hurt you. Not to mention, you also are aware of what you need to do to stay safe during any and all of these situations.

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